A Christmas Story
by bandtogetherandfight
Summary: A gift from Derek has Casey confused... and maybe something else?
1. Chapter 1

A Christmas Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek or any of the characters in this story.

The more I see of the Derekus episode, the more I like it. It serves as the inspiration for this story but in this story they actually go on their respective trips. Of course it's a Dasey.

Casey sat on her bed watching the clock. Seven more minutes until she had to go downstairs and ten more minutes before the cab was set to arrive to take she and Lizzie to the airport. She had the next week with their dad planned out perfectly, from the restaurants they would visit and the shops they had to go to in order to get gifts for the rest of her family. And in case there was an unplanned for gap in her plans, she had the pocket size Lonely Planet guide to New York that fit in her purse. If all went according to plan, she would not have any time or reason to think of Max.

If Casey were honest with herself she would acknowledge that she never really expected that relationship to work. But he was so perfect: handsome, a football star, her parents liked him, no personality, self-absorbed and boring. Maybe she should just give up boys all together – no one could live up to her expectations anyway. That's why this trip was so important; going to New York was her chance to work on her independence. If New York wasn't the place to be free and independent, she was sure it couldn't be done.

Six minutes until she had to go downstairs.

A knock on the door interrupted her from her staring match with the clock. When she opened the door nobody was there but a book that had been propped against the doorknob fell to the ground. It wasn't a book that she'd ever seen before but seemed like something she would have picked out for herself. It had a pink cover with funky waves imbedded in the plastic and a fluffy pink feather pen poking out of the elastic band that surrounded it. The word 'JOURNAL' was printed near the middle of the front cover.

Slightly perplexed, Casey turned the book over searching for an explanation of its presence. Finally, she opened the cover and read the three short lines of text printed there in small, hardly legible handwriting.

'Thought you could use this

Seemed like you.

- Derek'

Unfortunately, this explanation made her more perplexed. Derek giving her a gift that she actually liked. Was that possible? Just last night the entire family had exchanged gifts knowing that the kids weren't going to be around for Christmas. Derek had given her a shirt that read 'Total Klutz.' Not to be outdone, she had given him a sports magazine from 2 months ago that she had picked up at the pharmacy. She thought it had been mutually understood that they express their inability to get along in their presents. Yet, she had actually put more thought than she had intended in deciding to get him the magazine. She had surprised herself in analyzing exactly the message she wanted to send to him. Wasn't part of their arguments and tantrums that they both enjoyed it and that it was funny? They didn't actually really _hate_ each other.

"Obviously not" she replied out loud as she considered the journal again.

Five minutes until she had to go downstairs.

She knocked on Derek's door. He opened it with his shirt half on.

"What's up?"

She held up the journal as a means of response. When he didn't respond she tried words.

"Derek I love it! But I don't understand. I thought we already exchanged presents. What's this for?"

He ushered her inside with a wave of his hand and he closed the door.

"Look, Casey. I saw it in the store and it had your name written all over it. I figured with everything with Max that you could use something to express all those feelings you seem to have all the time. Consider it another Christmas present. Don't read too much into it and don't tell anyone that I did it – people would think I'd gone soft. Now if you'll excuse me I have to finish packing for Florida."

"Derek I don't get you. You act like a major asshole most of the time and then you go and do something really sweet like this or calling my dad that time I organized the dinner from hell. Maybe you are going soft."

She chuckles to herself as he gives her the look of death.

"I am not soft. And why don't you go discuss my split persona in that new journal of yours instead of boring me with this conversion. Florida is the only thing I want to talk about right now."

She turns to leave and he turns back to the backpack on his bed. Unknowingly to him she has not left his room but has approached the bed to give him a hug from behind. The feel of her arms encircling his waist causes him to turn around in surprise and she manages to catch him in a full, true hug.

"Thank-you, Derek. I love my present."

"CASE-Y! You know my no hugging policy."

Yet, he made no attempt to get away from her – until he reached for her sides and tickled her hard. She laughed and squirmed away from him and out the door breathless, closing the door behind her.

"You're welcome, Casey," he whispers to the closed door.

0 minutes until she had to go downstairs.

Grabbing her rolling suitcase from her room and stuffing the journal and pen in one of the front pockets, she heads downstairs to say goodbye to the rest of her family.

Her stepfather shouts for all his kids to come down to say goodbye before their rides come to take them away from him for the holiday.

She kisses George, her mom, Edwin and Marti goodbye and tells them to enjoy their Christmas. When she leaves in the cab with Lizzie, Derek still has not come down to say goodbye – not that she was looking for him or anything.

As Lizzie sleeps next to her on the flight to New York, she opens her journal and begins to write. After the date and the somewhat cliché introduction of 'Dear Journal,' Casey begins this record of her life with the short but loaded phrase 'I think that I might have fallen for Derek…'

5


	2. Chapter 2

Married and Expecting a baby.

On the Sunday night before the official end of winter break, Casey McDonald laid her suitcase on her bed but made no move to unpack. It was an odd night in the Mcdonald-Venturi household; with all the kids getting back from their respective trips everyone was up late, sharing vacation stories, hugs and presents. After an apologetic intervention from George, who knew that with a late start in the morning they would again be at each other's throats, all the kids had been sent to bed. Nora entered Casey's room to give her a last combination welcome back, I missed you, good night, hug and Casey, thinking that her question would now seem appropriate and not revealing of anything in particular, asked what had been on her mind since she had entered the house nearly an hour and a half ago:

"Mom, where's Derek? Isn't he back yet?"

"Oh sure, he got back last night. He left after lunch saying he was going to go see Sally and then spend the night at Sam's."

"Oh." It was the most expressive thing she could come up with. Then she remembered that she had a scripted role to play and she added sarcastically, "How considerate of him. He's away from his family for weeks and then he comes back and all he does is go see his friends. Typical Derek."

"Well I hate to break it to you Case, but I think we're dealing with a teenager here." Nora laughed, gave Casey her hug and left the room.

Casey weighed whether it was too late to call Emily. Deciding that she too was entitled to her teenage moments, she dialed. It took about 3 seconds for Emily to answer.

"Casey? How was New York? Did you meet any cute guys?"

'It was fine Em. No cute guys, just good quality time with Dad and Liz. How was your break?" It was as if this was what Emily had been waiting for. She took off:

"It was really spiritual. After the whole Sheldon thing I think I've grown up a little bit and you know how I used to think that I didn't deserve some guys and that I wasn't pretty or something like that? Well know I realize that I've got to be more confident because I am a good girlfriend and guys are lucky to have me. I mean Sheldon **proposed **to me."

Her emphasis on the word made Casey cringe. "Okay, you're totally right but I'm not sure I'm following you here Em."

"I just mean that I shouldn't give up on any of my dreams. So, I've decided. I'm going after Derek. I mean I never really gave up on him but this time I'm not going to think I'm not worth it. He's just another guy right?"

"Right…" Casey muttered, thinking what a huge mistake it had been to call Emily in the first place. And then, without really thinking about it, she pressed the off button on her cordless phone, effectively silencing Emily and the bizarre, uncomfortable conversation that they had just had.

She decided that when she saw Emily at school the next morning she would blame the abrupt end to their conversation on one of her younger siblings, or better yet Derek. Mentally making a note to go see Paul in the morning, Casey began her nightly ritual of deciding which pajamas to wear. After changing, she rested her new pink journal on the pillow beside hers, the fluffy, second occupant of her double bed. But then that visual presented too frank of a reality to deal with and she hid the journal under her pillow.

She registered that the front door opened – it could only be Derek – and he was trying unsuccessfully to be quiet while ascending the stairs. She listened intently, ignoring the impulses that told her to open her room door and interrupt his secrecy, until he closed his room door and then she slammed herself for not reacting at all.

Her inner diatribe continued until, in a move that was so purely Derek, after he had tiptoed up the stairs, he turned up the bass on his stereo so loud that she could feel the vibrations in her stomach, in her veins and vibrating the metal headboard of her bed. Then again, perhaps he figured that this was a normal sound for the house, not unusual in the least, almost necessary. It was as if he were calling to her, asking her to come in and yell him.

Glad for an excuse, she found herself in the familiar position knocking at his door.

"DE-REK, people are sleeping. It's the first day of school tomorrow. I know your aspiration is to be a delinquent but some of us would really like to make something of our lives."

He opened his door with his trademark smirk and left it open while he went and turned the bass knob on the stereo down. After the bass was turned down, she recognized the song as one she had in her own collection. He walked back to the door.

"Thank-you."

"Don't mention it, Klutzilla."

The use of that nickname in a so not klutzy circumstance almost made her smile. Almost. Considering how to transition from annoyed to generous without seeming weird, Casey stalled.

"How're Sam and Sally?"

"Married, expecting a baby any day now. You should send them a gift."

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

"Seriously Casey, why do you care? Its after midnight, you are in your pajamas, did you really come over here to chit chat about Sally and Sam?"

"Well if you weren't such a meanie I would just give you the gift I got you." Great, Casey. Could you be anymore immature?

"You got me another great gift? Because the magazine was a really write home about it type of present."

"What and the 'Total Klutz' shirt was haute couture?"

"Hey! I never said anything about hot culture. I thought it described you perfectly. So, what did you get me?"

She walked into her room and retrieved the flat, wrapped package that rested at the top of her suitcase.

"Not that I think that you deserve it but this is to thank you for the journal. I really loved it."

He ripped into the package and pulled out the hockey jersey that she had painstakingly gotten the entire New York team to sign. He stared at her in disbelief and held the shirt against his chest.

"Are these real or did you sign them yourself?"

"Yeah I had Marti do the ones on the front … of course they're real Derek. I couldn't make up half the unoriginal stuff that those hockey dudes wrote to you."

"Casey, this is amazing. I can't believe you did this. The journal was just something I saw. It wasn't nearly as involved as this."

"It's the thought that counts."

"Well I'm thinking really big thoughts about your right now. Take it while it lasts."

Casey blushed red.

"I have something else too."

He looked at her with a look that she could only describe as wonder. She reached over, grabbed both hands that were currently holding his jersey, pushed him against thee bed and tickled him under his armpits with the other hand. He squealed, actually squealed.

"Say Mercy"

"Never"

And thinking that the only way to get her to stop was to do something drastic, he aimed to use his only available weapon – his mouth.

And to make it stop he bit her on her shoulder.


End file.
